Colorado Kid
A Swedish-American Boy Goes West
Willis Peterson
6" X 9", 518 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 0-9773277-0-1
photos
Lost Fox Press, PO Box 4118, Cottonwood, CO 86326
Swedish immigrants, asthma, and the Great Depression
Colorado of '30s and '40s Comes to Life in New Memoir
Willis Peterson made his reputation as an Arizona photojournalist, a globe-trotting nature photographer, and a college teacher.
But
in his new book, Colorado Kid: A Swedish-American Boy Goes West, Peterson
focuses not on his success but on the reasons for it—the “ear-twisting” of
the two strong-willed Swedish women who raised him and the forced creativity of
having to contend with asthma while growing up in Colorado Springs during the
Great Depression and World War II.
It
was the asthma that brought him, his mother, and his great-aunt to the pristine
dry air at the base of Pikes Peak. It was the asthma that complicated his
recovery from whooping cough. And it was the scarcity of the Depression that
inspired him during that illness “to create ship models out of imagination and
cardboard.”
Colorado
Kid
is filled with tales and sounds of the times—the Swedish-English of his
upbringing, the boom of firecrackers set off by boys who should have known
better, the drawl of a homeless cowboy, the roar of a dust storm, the tragic
crash of a P-38 that gave Peterson Field its name.
Raymond Strait, celebrity biographer, Hemet, CaliforniaTo order with a Visa or Master Card credit card on a secure connection, click on the "add to cart" button below.
The Author
“Colorado Kid spans three generations, beginning with the immigration in 1901 of a nine-year-old girl from her native Sweden to the United States and eventually, via Minnesota, to Colorado Springs.
“Peterson’s childhood remembrances are sprinkled with memorable (if not always lovable) characters. His visualization of depressed America during the dreary ’30s and into World War II is a lesson in civics that has been by-passed by most historians.
“The young lad views and adjusts to the new frontier while dealing with two preceding generations of fear and daring. He is caught up with new world progress while tied to the apron strings of old world habits and traditions. With a vivid imagination, he takes advantage of both to mold himself into an individual unlike either his mother or Great-Aunt Louisa, who are the yin and yang of dissension.
“Filled with the angst of youth and the hopes of the future, Colorado Kid makes an imprint on depressed America that will thrill young and old alike.
“Willis Peterson is a writer of great insight into the human condition, and he tells a story that is both comedic and tragic. His characterization of the adults who govern his life is a riot. This is a heart-warming saga. We haven’t had one like this in a long time.”—
“This unforgettable story of a Swedish immigrant family in Colorado Springs mirrors the struggles of families throughout America during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The perspective of a growing boy brings warmth and humor to the portrait of his long-suffering mother, eccentric aunt, and the people they encounter as they adapt to their new surroundings. The author’s evocative descriptions of life in a modest neighborhood of this small Western town fill a unique niche in the historical record of the community. These youthful memories of a distinguished nature photographer will appeal to all who cherish the diverse legacies that molded today’s America.”—Judith Reid Finley, author, Colorado Springs, Colorado
The Photographer
“Willis Peterson is an artist who paints, draws, and sculpts with his camera. His depictions of the animate and inanimate photographed in his Southwest environs to around the world provide an inspiring dimension to graphic
art.”—Lloyd Clark, former writer for Phoenix Gazette, now columnist at
Daily News-Sun, Sun City, Arizona
“Willis Peterson’s unique contribution to society can be found in the breathless moment in which the artist’s eye and his camera masterfully capture the energy of the natural world. Through camera work, Peterson collects, preserves, and interprets the flora and fauna of this planet. His masterful documentation offers society an advanced knowledge of our world while simultaneously nourishing the collective human spirit. With the technological age rapidly challenging the basics of artistic worth, these images still have the power to touch each of us at a fundamental
level.”—David Tooker, Executive Director/Curator, West Valley Art Museum, Surprise, Arizona.
“Peterson portrays life in all its glorious manifestations. His images have a naturalist’s interpretation combined with poetic
artistry.”—Joseph Stacey, former editor, Arizona Highways.
Willis
“Pete” Peterson worked as a photojournalist for the
Arizona Republic,
became a frequent contributor to
Arizona Highways,
and created the photojournalism program at Glendale Community College in
Phoenix. He now lives in Clarkdale, Arizona, with his wife, Roberta. His nature
photos are on display until January 8, 2006, at The Wildlife Experience, 10035
S. Peoria, Parker, CO 80134.
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